The Zotac GTX 1050 Mini offers up very serviceable 1080p gaming in a package that's impressively compact. It's no faster than other GTX 1050 cards, but it doesn't cost more, either.

The Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini ($109.99) seems to be the type of video card that Nvidia—pardon the pun—envisioned when it created the GTX 1050 graphics processor (GPU). We say that because this is a tiny graphics card designed to run games at high settings at 1080p resolution without requiring any additional power from a PCI Express power-supply connector.

That means you can plug this card into any system that has a PCI Express slot, so long as the case also has room for full-width video cards. That should include most traditional desktop towers built in the last five years or so, if not longer. In other words, with this card your dusty old Dell or HP business tower can be revivified with a nice dollop of graphics horsepower, without having to buy a new machine or upgrade your power supply.

At least it probably can. As always, you should consult your system specs closely before buying, and make sure there's enough clearance for this card, because while its port plate only occupies a single slot, the cooler attached to the card takes up the space of a second slot, as well.

Of course, these types of cards have existed previously, with the GeForce GTX 750 Ti being the most notable example in recent years. While that card was impressive when it launched in early 2014, it has now grown long in the silicon tooth, no longer packing enough grunt to muscle through today's games at high settings, much less the more-demanding DirectX 12 titles of the future. The GeForce GTX 950 came after the GeForce 750 Ti, in mid-2015, but it was a larger card that required a supplementary PCI Express power connector, making it drop-in-compatible with fewer existing PCs. And that card was priced in the $150 range, taking it out of contention for "entry level" status.

While some GeForce GTX 1050 cards are larger and do require a supplementary power connector for overclocking purposes, as you can see below, the Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini has no power-connector plug. It gets all the juice it needs from the PCIe x16 slot it drops into.

The first question we need to examine in regards to this compact card is exactly how small it is; is it worthy of its "Mini" title? The Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini measures 5.7 inches long, which seems quite short, so let's see how it compares to some of its competitors. We looked online to see the dimensions of a host of other GTX 1050 cards and some competing AMD Radeon RX 460 cards, and the Zotac card does indeed clock in shorter than most in terms of length. The PNY GeForce GTX 1050, for example, is 7 inches long, though the EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 is also 5.7 inches long and looks like the Zotac card's not-so-long-lost brother, as it has a very similar design. On the AMD Radeon front, the smallest Radeon RX 460 we could find was from MSI (specifically, the MSI Radeon RX 460 2G OC). It measured 6.8 inches, or about an inch longer than the Zotac Mini card. Based on our formal investigation, the Zotac card is indeed quite small, as gaming graphics cards go.

Zotac isn't the only company getting in on the mini-card game, though, as we've already reviewed a very small GPU from MSI, the MSI GeForce GTX 1050 2G OC , using the same chip, so these two cards are going to be direct competitors. These two GPUs are also priced exactly the same at $109, setting up a head-to-head clash the likes of which hasn't been witnessed since...well, since the last time two affordable GPUs were compared to one another. Also, we need to consider cards based on the AMD Radeon RX 460 , as they cost about the same, landing in the $100 to $110 range.

As far as the Zotac GTX 1050 Mini goes, this card is "stock" in every sense of the word, not deviating from Nvidia's baseline specifications in any real way. Its base clock is set at 1,354MHz, and its boost clock is listed at 1,455MHz. As we've noted in previous Nvidia 10-series reviews, though, it's highly likely that the card's real-world boost speeds will exceed these conservative clock-speed estimates, so long as Zotac's cooler and fan do their jobs as expected. The Zotac GTX 1050 Mini sports 2GB of memory, just like other GTX 1050 and RX 460 cards. In order to double that allotment to 4GB, you'll need to fork over between $30 and $50 more for the GTX 1050 Ti, a card that is also usually a little larger.

As noted earlier, the Zotac GTX 1050 Mini is double-wide in terms of its cooler, but the port plate occupies only a single slot position. As a result, the card has just three video outs: a DVI, an HDMI, and a DisplayPort.

Zotac also sells a version of this card with the GeForce GTX 1060 chip (the Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 Mini, which we've also reviewed), so if you're looking for a VR-capable GPU in a similar (though slightly larger) form factor, you should definitely check out that one instead. Note, though, that the GTX 1060 version requires a six-pin PCI Express power connector, and uses a bit more than twice as much power as this card. So you may need a power-supply upgrade to run that card in your existing system.

The Zotac GTX 1050 Mini includes a fairly standard two-year warranty (although Founders Edition cards sold by Nvidia are covered for three years), and is bundled with the company's Firestorm software.

About Our Tests

As we've mentioned in our other recent card reviews, things are in flux these days when it comes to testing cards, because two emerging technologies that many current-gen cards are built for are proving difficult to test in these early days.

The first of these is DirectX 12 (DX12), which is just now coming on the scene. There are very few real-world benchmarks for it. Still, DX12 will likely be the standard graphics API in the future, and this card was designed to last for a few years, if not longer. So it's important to know if a card can handle DX12 well before buying. We tested the Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini with the newest DX12-capable games we had on hand: Hitman (the 2016 edition), Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Ashes of the Singularity, as well as Futuremark's 3DMark DX12 benchmark, Time Spy. We tested a load of games using DirectX 11, too, because that API will still be in wide use for at least another year, and probably much longer.

The other angle is virtual reality (VR) support, or lack thereof. VR is getting lots of press and consumer gaming interest these days, but the GTX 1050 is not powerful enough to earn an acceptable rating by the powers that be at Oculus or HTC. So, if VR is your aim, you'll want to step up to the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 480.

And so, on to the benchmarks. Since this specific Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini card costs $109, we'll compare it to the similarly priced and specced MSI GTX 1050 2G OC, as well as the $99-to-$110 AMD Radeon RX 460. It'll be quite interesting to see how these cards match up. (We tested a PowerColor version of the RX 460, the Red Dragon Radeon RX 460, which was selling for $99 at this writing, down from $109 when we reviewed it.) We'll also be keeping an eye on how the GTX 1050 cards compare to their more powerful GTX 1050 Ti counterparts, as well as other cards in the under-$200 range.

All of the recent-generation cards we've tested in the $100-to-$200 range have also been added to the benchmark charts below, with a few higher-end cards, such as the GeForce GTX 1060 and Radeon RX 480, thrown in for good measure. We also dropped in the short-board AMD Radeon R9 Nano for an idea of what kind of performance you can get in a very compact card if money is no object. (At this writing, it was about four times the price of a typical GTX 1050!)

3DMark Fire Strike

We started off our testing with Futuremark's 2013 version of 3DMark, specifically the suite's Fire Strike subtest. Fire Strike is a synthetic test designed to measure overall gaming performance.

In this synthetic benchmark, we can see the two GTX 1050 cards from Zotac and MSI are extremely close to one another, which is not a surprise. The MSI card is a smidge faster, but the two are close enough to be within the margin of testing error, essentially. The march of technology is clear to see, though, as the little GTX 1050 GPUs are basically tied in performance with the much larger GTX 950 from the previous generation.

Tomb Raider (2013)

Let's start with some older games. Here, we fired up the 2013 reboot of the classic title Tomb Raider, testing at the Ultimate detail preset and three resolutions.

Both GTX 1050 cards were able to achieve a very respectable 58fps on this demanding game at 1080p resolution, making them both excellent choices for 1080p gaming with older titles. The RX 460 was unable to compete, though, delivering a decent, but not competitive, 40fps.

Sleeping Dogs

Next, we rolled out the very demanding real-world gaming benchmark test built into the title Sleeping Dogs.

Despite the GTX 1050's marketing language about it being great for 60fps gaming, that is not true for every game, as we see with Sleeping Dogs. Both GTX 1050s were only able to reach 46fps, which is certainly playable but not quite as fast as we would have liked to see. Still, it's a heck of a lot better than what the RX 460 was capable of. It was able to deliver only 28fps, which is borderline unplayable. Both GTX 1050 cards were faster than the previous-generation GTX 950 here, as well, and pulled about even with the GTX 960.

Bioshock Infinite

The popular title Bioshock Infinite isn't overly demanding, but it's a popular one with stellar good looks. In its built-in benchmark program, we set the graphics level to the highest preset (Ultra+DDOF)...

In Bioshock, the GTX 1050 Ti didn't perform much better than the GTX 1050, which really strengthens the lesser cards' value proposition. Both GTX 1050 cards were able to roar along at 73fps or 74fps at 1080p resolution, which makes for a superb gaming experience. That was also a bit faster than what the GTX 950 was capable of. The comparatively outgunned RX 460 limped along at 52fps.

Hitman: Absolution

Next up was Hitman: Absolution, which is an aging game but still pretty hard on a video card.

We run this test with 8x MSAA enabled, which makes things extra tough. Both the GTX 1050 cards landed within one frame per second of each other at 1080p, so there's not much to report on with regard to that rivalry. Also, once again, the GTX 1050 Ti version of this card failed to justify its higher price, running just a few frames per second faster overall. Amazingly, the roughly $50-pricier Radeon RX 470 was just a few frames per second faster than the 1050 cards. Clearly, the GTX 1050 lives in a pretty sweet spot in terms of performance and price.

Far Cry Primal

Next, we moved to a more recent game, released in 2016. Ubisoft's latest open-world first-person hunting game is one of the most demanding titles we use, thanks to its lush foliage, detailed shadows, and otherwise incredible environments.

Once again, we see the GTX 1050 cards just dancing on the edge of 60fps, which is outstanding given the fact that this is a very recent game, bristling with the latest technology. Both cards delivered a gaming experience here as smooth as soft-serve ice cream. The GTX 1060 got close to triple-digit performance in this title at 1080p, but, then again, that card is twice the price.

Grand Theft Auto V

One of the most popular game franchises on the planet, Grand Theft Auto needs no introduction. Version V took a lot longer than many expected to land on the PC. But when it finally did, in early 2015, it brought a number of graphical improvements and tweakable visual settings that pushed the game far beyond its console roots.

Note that some of the cards below have no bars; they would not run GTA V at our test settings. That's a quirk of this game: It will automatically bounce down settings if the game perceives it will not run acceptably at a given mix of resolution and detail settings.

This is another game that really makes the GTX 1050 Ti seem marginal, as it was just about 2fps faster overall than the GTX 1050 cards, which cost around $30 less. Both GTX 1050 cards ran at very good frame rates in this test, too, surpassing 60fps.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Lara Croft rises once again in the early-2016 iteration of Square Enix's long-running action franchise. As our hero works to unfold an ancient mystery (and reveal the secret to immortality) ahead of the ancient and deadly Order of Trinity, she traipses through a slew of detailed, atmospheric environments, from arid tombs to the frigid Siberian wilderness. A dynamic weather system, and the complexities of Lara's wind-tousled hair, add to the game's visual complexity.

By this point, there aren't any more surprises in store, as both GTX 1050 cards performed the same, and again just a few fps shy of what the GTX 1050 Ti was capable of achieving. This is by now a well-established pattern, making us question what the point of the GTX 1050 Ti is, actually, at its current price level. Also unsurprising was the fact that the Radeon RX 460 lagged more than 10fps behind the GTX 1050 competition, again.

Hitman (2016)

The newest game in the Hitman franchise finds Agent 47 turning over a new leaf, and embarking on a journey of self-discovery as a teacher at a school for underprivileged children. Just kidding, of course; he kills loads of people in this one, just like the rest. It does offer gorgeous graphics in both DX11 and DX12 varieties, though. We'll tackle the former (DX11) first.

This title seems to heavily favor AMD, as the Radeon RX 460 is nipping at the heels of the GTX 1050 cards, more or less for the first time, and surprisingly the GTX 1050 Ti was much faster than its GTX 1050 siblings. These results are a big change from what we've seen in other tests, which makes it seem like this Hitman test is an outlier. Another example of that: The GTX 1050 Ti was just as fast as the RX 480 at 1080p, despite the fact that the AMD card costs about $70 more. For what it's worth, both GTX 1050 cards were able to deliver over 60fps here, if just barely.

It's tough to get any rock-solid sense of DirectX 12 performance at this point. When we wrote this in early 2017, only a handful of major titles were available with DirectX 12 support. And running these games, anecdotally we saw no graphical differences between the titles running at DX11 versus DX12 settings. In some instances, titles running under DX12 offered performance gains, but elsewhere we saw lesser performance.

In other words, don't draw any set-in-stone conclusions from the DX12 results below. DirectX 12 is still in its early stages, and those developers who have implemented it have yet to smooth over the cracks. We'll have to wait some months to say for sure how much of an advantage DX12 offers, and whether it sways things in favor of AMD or Nvidia in any substantive way. Still, because this is a new card and DX12 is cutting-edge tech, it's worth taking a look at what the GTX 1050 and its competition can do with Microsoft's latest gaming API today. (Spolier: The AMD RX 460's story gets better here.)

Rise of the Tomb Raider (DX12)

This sequel to 2013's Tomb Raider was one of the first AAA titles to offer DirectX 12 support. We used the preset labeled Medium for testing.

The RX 460 seriously closed the gap to the GTX 1050 cards in this test, but was still an appreciable amount slower. Both GTX 1050 cards ran this game using DX12 at a respectable 52fps or 53fps, while the GTX 1050 Ti finally proved its value by hitting 59fps.

Hitman (2016, DX12)

The newest Hitman title also offers up a DX12 graphics option in its benchmark that, like Rise of the Tomb Raider, looked identical to our eyes to the DX11 version. We used the Medium setting here.

This test also showed varying results that didn't gel with previous games, which makes us think there are still some kinks to work out in terms of DX12 implementation here. The Radeon RX 460 performed very well, ringing up close to the GTX 1050 cards at 1080p. What's surprising is that the GTX 1050 Ti achieved an almost impossible-to-believe 30fps advantage over the GTX 1050 cards that it barely outpaced in so many previous tests. This result may well be an anomaly, but at the very least we did see both GTX 1050 cards running quite close to one another, which is in line with what we'd expect.

Ashes of the Singularity (DX12)

The strategy title Ashes of the Singularity was among the first to offer DirectX 12 support, even when it was still in beta.

The results of this benchmark show things have returned to normal somewhat, which is odd since this is one of those benchmarks that most often gives us outlier numbers. We see both GTX 1050 cards performing similarly again, and the GTX 1050 Ti was incapable of distancing itself from those cards this time, running just a handful of frames per second faster than the GTX 1050 cards. The RX 460 also made a strong showing, but it still couldn't catch the GTX 1050 cards.

3DMark (Time Spy)

We haven't tested all of the cards we outline here on the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark yet; it's a test from the Futuremark suite that was only relatively recently finalized. But we did run it on the Zotac GTX 1050 card we're reviewing here, as well as the MSI GTX 1050 Ti 4G, and PowerColor's Red Dragon Radeon RX 460.

These results are interesting, in that the PowerColor Red Dragon RX 460 lags behind the Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini, despite the fact that the AMD card did better on our real-world DirectX 12 benchmarks than elsewhere. And the MSI GTX 1050 Ti has about a 23 percent edge on the Zotac GTX 1050 Mini in the Graphics Subscore, which is in-between the results we saw on our DirectX 12 Hitman and Ashes of the Singularity tests.

This more or less reiterates what we've been saying all along: DirectX 12 just isn't mature enough yet to get a solid sense of where things stand. In a broad sense, AMD's latest cards seem to get more of a boost from available DirectX 12 titles than Nvidia's competing cards do. But the Nvidia cards tend to do better overall, especially on DirectX 11 titles.

Very Compact with Decent 1080p Gaming Performance

The Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini is a card that doesn't offer up any surprises if you know what to expect from a GTX 1050. But it certainly delivers on its promise of very competent 1080p gaming performance in an extremely small form factor.

The card doesn't require any additional power connectors, drawing all it needs from the PCI Express x16 slot. So it can be plugged in to many existing machines that are currently making do with integrated graphics or an older, weaker dedicated graphics card. That makes this Zotac offering a superb upgrade option for a ton of older desktops that have been ill-equipped on the gaming front for years.

Plus, at $109, the Zotac card is priced in line with competing offerings like the MSI GTX 1050 2G OC. This makes sense, as those two cards are almost identical in terms of performance, but with the MSI card being about an inch longer. That also makes the Zotac card a better fit (literally) for folks with small form factor (SFF) builds—it means you can finally upgrade your GPU to one that not only fits in your case but will also deliver extremely good 1080p gaming.

That said, if your existing desktop lives in a narrow case that can accommodate only half-height cards, you'll still have to look elsewhere, as this card uses a standard full-height bracket and board, which won't fit in such systems. If that's what you're dealing with, you will soon have options on that front as well. Gigabyte recently announced half-height or "low profile" versions of both the GeForce GTX 1050 and the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. So smooth 1080p gaming should now be a relatively easy (and fairly inexpensive) upgrade option for virtually anyone with a desktop equipped with a PCI Express x16 slot (and a CPU and RAM that can keep up). That's great news, because the GeForce GTX 750 Ti, which has been the go-to low-profile-card option for these situations for a few years now, really can't deliver the goods with today's most demanding games at high settings. The GTX 1050 is a much better choice for those who want their games to look as good as possible at 1080p.

Overall, the Zotac GeForce GTX Mini is a very solid contender in the entry-level GPU department. It is small, performs as expected, and offers up very good gaming results at 1080p, without costing much more than $100. We can't actually recommend the Zotac card unequivocally over the MSI GTX 1050 2G OC that we also tested, as the two performed pretty much the same (and were priced the same, as well, when we wrote this). So flip a coin if you have to. But if you're upgrading or building a PC in a very tight chassis, and are worried that the extra inch on the MSI card might cause clearance issues, rest easy knowing the Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini has got your cramped case's gaming aims covered.

Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini

Zotac GeForce GTX 1050 Mini

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